Automatic coat-rack.



PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

A. ir. BATTLE. AUTOMATIC GOAT RACK.v

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1901.

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UNrrn 'Tnrns nTnNT OFFICE.

ANTHONY J. BATTLE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC COAT- RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,688, dated January20, 1903. Application filed November 7, 1901. Serial No. 81,464, (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, ANTHONY J. BATTLE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful consists in the provision ofa device of this class which will be relatively simple and inexpensivein construction and positive and efficient inv use.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of myimproved automatic coat-rack, showing the parts in normal or inoperativeposition. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the partys in operativeposition. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal transverse sectional view takenupon the line Fig. 1, and looking downwardly. f

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates my improved automatic coat-rack,which embodies two relatively movable curved jaws or members,respectively-an Lipper member 2 and a lower member 3. These jaws arepreferably arranged in the same vertical plane and project at theirouter end portions 4 and 5, respectively, exteriorly of a hollow casing6, and said jaws 2 and 3 project at their inner end portions 7 and 8,respectively, within said casing 6. The end portions 4 and 5 arearranged in opposed relation, as are also the end portions 7 and 8, theupper member 2 being curved upwardly and lthe lower member 3 beingcurved downwardly. The jaws 2 and 3 project, respectively, throughopenings 9 and 10, formed in the front plate 11 of the casing 6. The jaw2 is limited in its movement through the opening 9 by means of contactwith the jaw 3, with which it is arranged to engage at both its innerand outer end portions, and the movement of the jaw 3 is limited by stopdevices 12, which are preferably carried by the same, and consists `ot'an inner shoulder 13 and an outer shoulder 14, which are formed upon thejaw 3 and are arranged for engagement, respectively, with the innersurface and the outer surface of the front plate 11 ofthe casing 6 asthe jaw 3 slides through the opening 10. The coat is suspended from thelower jaw 3, at the outer end portion 5 of the same, and the weight ofthe coat causes said jaw 3 to slide inwardly through the opening 10 toan extent limited by the engagement of the shoulder 14 with the frontplate 1l of the casing 6. Previous to this latter engagement, however,the inner end portion S of the jaw 3 engages with the inner end portion7 of the jaw 2 and causes the latter jaw to slide outwardly through theopening 9 until the outer end portion 4of the jaw 2 is brought intoengagement with the coat which is suspended from the jaw 3 or simplyinto engagement with the outer end portion of the jaw 3, and thusprevents extraction of the coat. To this end means 15 are provided forlocking the jaw 2 in the operative position last described, and when thejaw 2 is locked in such position the jaw 3 is also locked againstmovement by means of the shoulder 14, which is in engagement with thecasing 6 and the jaw 2.

In the preferred forni of construction the means 15 for locking the jaw2 in operative position consist of a pivoted detent or pawl 16, whichoperates at its lower end in connection with a plurality of serrationsor corrugations 17, which are formed upon the upper surface of the jaw2, and said detent is so arranged when in operative position that itdoes not prevent projection of the jaw 2 through the opening 9, butprevents retraction of the same through said opening 9 in the casing 6.To this end the detent 16 is pivotally connected with a lockingmechanism 19, which is arranged within the casing 6 above the jaw 2 andis provided with a key 18, whereby the locking mechanism 19 may beoperated to raise the pawl 16 out of engagement with the serrations 17.The detent 16 may rest normally in engagement with a IOO guide-piu 20,which maintains it in proper operative position for engagement with thesei-rations 17.

In the rear part ot the casing 6 is arranged a chute 21, which extendsdownwardly from the top of the casing 6, at which it opens at its upperend 22, and said chute 2l is curved at its lower end 23, whereby itslower orifice 24 projects above a tray or cup 25, which is arrangedconveniently at the front of the casing 6. The orifice 24 of the chute21 may open through the front plate 11 of the casing. Through thischute-2l the key 1S is automatically delivered to the user of thecoat-rack when the coat is suspended from the lower jaw 3, causing saidjaw to rise at its inner end portion 8. The key 1S is temporarilysustained within the chute 21 by a hinged bracket 26, which is carriedby the inner end portion 8 of the jaw 3 and normally projectstransversely across and within the chute 21 through an opening 27,formed in the front wall of the chute 21. The bracket 26 is hinged tothe inner end portion 8 of the jaw 3, as at 2S, and may be normallysustained in horizontal position by the engagement of the same with thelower wall of the opening 27 in the chute 21 or may be so suspended inoperative position by a spring 29, which bears at one end upon the lowerside of the bracket 26 and at the other end upon the inner end portionof the jaw 3. The key, which is initially deposited in the chute 21 atthe upper end 01 orifice 22 of the same, normally rests upon the bracket26; but when the outer end portion 5 o1 the jaw 3 is depressed by theweight of a coat suspended from the saine and the innerend portion S ofthcjaw 3 is simultaneously elevated the upper side ofthe bracket 26engages with the lower end of a finger 26, the upper end of which issecured above the opening 27 in the chute 21, thus causing the pivotaldepression of the bracket 26 within the ch nte 21 and permitting the key18 to pass downwardly within the chute 21 and to exit from the same atthe lower orice 24 of the chute, at which point it enters the tray orcup 25. The key is taken from the tray or cup and kept by the user ofthe coat-rack until he desires to unlock the upper jaw 2 and extract hiscoat from between the outer end portions 4 and 5 of the jaws, at whichtime he inserts the key into the locking mechanism 19 and elevates thedetent 16 from its position of engagement with the sei-rations 17.

It will be understood that the end portions 4 and 5 and the end portions7 and 8 of the jaws 2 and 3 are sufficiently spaced apart to permit ofthe relative movement of said jaws suliicient to allow the introductionof a coat between the outer end portions 4 and 5 of said jaws, and thelower jaw 3 is preferably weighted at its inner end portion S, as at 30,to maintain the outer end portion 5 of the same in position of fullprojection. The inner end portion 7 ot' the upper jaw 2 is alsopreferably weighted, as at 31, to normally maintain said jaw in theposition of full retraction. This weighting of the lower jaw 3 insuresthe maintenance of the samein proper position to sustain the bracket 26in operative position to support the key 13, and the weightingof theiunerend ofthe jaw 2 maintains the same in proper position to providethe necessary space between the outer end portions 4 and 5 of the jaws 2and 3 for the introduction of the coat between said jaws.

The operation and advantages of my improved automatic coat-rack will bereadily understood.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 a person desiring to usethe coat-rack suspends a coat from the end portion 5 ofthe lower jaw 3by means of the collar or hanger of the same, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 2, and said outer end portion 5 of the jaw 3 is immediatelylowered by the weight of the coat, causing the elevation of the innerend. portion 8 of the jaw 3, which inner end portion engages with theinner end portion of the jaw 2 and tilts the same outwardly, so that theouter end portion of the jaw 2 comes into engagement with the coat orwith the outer end portion 5 of the jaw 3 and locks thesameagainstextraction. Simultaneouslythe bracket 26 is folded downwardlywithin the chute 21 and the key 1S for the locking means 19 falls intothe tray or cup 25, whence it is taken by the user of the coat-rack andretained by him until such time as he shall desire to release the jaw 2from the locking means 19, which is accomplished by inserting the key 1Sinto the said locking means 1S) and raising the detent 16 from theserrations 17. The jaw 2 may then be slid inwardly of the casing 6 torelatively separate the outer end portion 4 of the jaw 2 from the outerend portion 5 of the jaw 3 and permit the extraction of the coat fromsaid jaws. The weighted portion 30 of the jaw 3 will then lower theinner end portion S of the jaw 3 and cause the bracket 26 to projectinto operative position to receive and sustain the key, which issubsequently deposited in the chute 21 at the upper end of the sameafter said key has been removed from the locking means 19, which havebeen manipulated to cause the detent 16 to descend into operativeposition with respect to the serrations 17.

The entire device is relatively simple in construction and operateseffectively to prevent malicious removal of a garment or garmentssuspended from the same. The casing 6 may be ornamental in appearanceand may be conveniently installed in public buildings-such as hotels,theaters, and similar places-or in private hallways or livingrooms. Thedevice is extremely neat in appearance, the casing 6 inclosing all ofthe operative parts of the same with the exception of the two projectingjaws 2 and 3.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details ofconstruction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated,

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the device to various conditions of use with# out departing from thespirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I therefore reservethe right to all such variation and modification as properly fallswithin the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patentl. An automatic coat-rack, comprising a casing having itsfront formed with an upper and a lower opening, an upper curved jawextending through said upper opening, and having a sliding and a pivotalmovement on the lower wall thereof, and a lower curved jaw extendingthrough said lower opening, and having its inner end in contact with theinner end of the upper jaw.

2`, An automatic coat-rack, comprising a casing having its front formedwith an upper and a lower opening, an upper curved jaw extending throughsaid upper opening and weighted at its inner end, and having both asliding and a pivotal movement on the lower wall of the upper opening,and a lower curved jaw extending through the lower opening and havingits inner end in contact with .the weighted end of the upper jaw.

3. An automatic coat-rack, comprising a casing having its front formedwith an upper and a lower opening, an upper curved weighted jawextending through said upper opening, and having both a sliding and apivotal movement on the lower wall of said opening, a lower curved armextending through said lower opening, and having its inner end incontact with the weighted end of the upper jaw, and means for lockingthe upper jaw.

4. An improved automatic coat-rack, comprising two relatively movablejaws, a casing in which said jaws are mou nted,locking means wherebysaid jaws may be secured in operative position, a key-delivery chutearranged within said casing and provided at one sido with an opening,and key-delivery devices operatively connected with one of said jaws andprojecting through said opening yand whereby a key adapted to saidlocking mechanism may be sustained against delivery when said chute isin normal position and from which said key may be released when said jawis moved into operative position.

5. An improved automatic coat-rack of the class described, comprisingtwo relatively movable jaws, means for locking said jaws in operativeposition, a casing in which said jaws are mounted, a key-delivery chutearranged within said casing, a key-delivery de vice operativelyconnected with one of said jaws and whereby a key adapted to saidlocking mechanism may be sustained against delivery within said chute,said key-delivery de.- vices consisting of a bracket which is hinged toone of said jaws and projects through an opening in one side of saidchute, and means for depressing said bracket to release the key, whenthe jaw carrying the bracket is moved into operative position.

6. An automatic coat-rack, comprising a casing formed at its front withan upper and a lower opening, two oppositely-curved jaws extending onethrough each of said openings, so that their inner ends contact, and theupper one of said jaws having bothasliding and a tilting movement, meansfor locking the upper jaw, and stops for limiting the movement of thelower jaw.

7.`An automatic coat-rack comprising a casing formed at its front withan upper and a lower opening, a pair of oppositely-curved j awsextending respectively, one through each of said openings, and havingtheir inner ends in contact, the upper one of saidjaws having both asliding and a tilting movement on the lower wall of the opening throughwhich it extends, stops for limiting the movement of the lower jaw, anda locking device for securingthe upper jaw in its forward position.

8. An automatic coat-rack, comprising a casing formed at its front withan upper and a lower opening, a pair of oppositely-curved jaws extendingrespectively one through each of said openings, and having their innerends in contact, the upper one of said jaws being weighted at its innerend, and having both a sliding and a tilting movement on the lowerwall-of the opening throughwhich it extends, a pawl-and-ratchet devicefor locking the upper jaw, and means for limiting the movement of thelower jaw.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses.

ANTHONY J. BATTLE.

Witnesses:

HARTWELL P. HEATH, MARGARET M. DURKIN.

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